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Pandemic
Dr.
Margaret Chan, chief of the World Health Organization
(WHO), declared yesterday: “The world is
moving into the early days of its first influenza
pandemic in the 21st century.”
This announcement makes it official that swine
flu is now formally a pandemic – but what does that
mean?
Webster
defines the adjective “pandemic” to mean
“occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting
an exceptionally high proportion of the population.”
According to Encyclopedia
Britannica, pandemics arise from epidemics, which
are outbreaks of disease confined to one part of the
world, such as a single country.
The
Associated Press reports that Thursday's announcement
by the World Health Organization doesn't mean the
virus is any more lethal — only that its spread is
considered unstoppable.
Since it was first detected in late April in
Mexico and the United States, swine flu has reached 74
countries, infecting nearly 29,000 people. Most who
catch the bug have only mild symptoms and don't need
medical treatment.
However,
there is another pandemic that is even more widespread
and 100% fatal: SIN! “For ALL have sinned
and fall short of the glory of
God” (Romans 3:23), and “the
wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
The
“pandemic” of sin is different than other
pandemics in that the condition is not “caught”
but CHOSEN. “But
each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own
desires and enticed.
Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth
to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth
death” (James 1:14-15).
Eventually, ALL people make the choice to sin,
and are consequently subject to its fatal end.
The
Good News (the “Gospel”) is that there is a CURE!
“For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Jesus died on the cross paying the price for
our sins (1 John 2:2) so that we might have the
forgiveness of sin (Ephesians 1:7) and eternal life
(Romans 6:23b).
The
CURE is accessed through an obedient faith.
By faith, we must OBEY the Gospel by believing
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confessing
Christ before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized
into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38;
Galatians 3:27).
The
WHO has sounded the warning that swine flu is now
pandemic. But
GOD has warned throughout the ages of the pandemic of
sin. He
also wants ALL people to know of the Cure: the blood
of Jesus that washes away sin (Revelation 1:5; Acts
22:16). He
died so that those who submit their lives in trusting
obedience to Him might live.
Won’t
YOU?
David
A. Sargent, Minister
Church
of Christ at Creekwood
1901
Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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